Chinese Red Lantern: A Joyful Coincidence

For over a decade, I’ve observed synchronicities—meaningful coincidences that seem to defy explanation—and even wrote a book about them. While these moments are common in daily life, many people fail to notice them.

In August 2024, I watched a short version of an old Chinese film online, a 1990 drama centered on red lanterns. The narrator mentioned not just one or two lanterns but hundreds of them. A few days later, while walking along the creek behind a condo building, I noticed green plants adorned with hundreds of red and orange lantern-like pods.

I often walk this path but had never noticed these vibrant plants before. This year, I hadn’t visited the area for months, but after watching the film, I was drawn there. The plant, fittingly called the Chinese Red Lantern, mirrored the imagery from the film.

With permission from the condo building council, I picked a few of the lanterns and placed them in my living room as decorations. In Chinese culture, red lanterns symbolize joy and good luck, offering a stark contrast to the dark tone of the movie.

This moment felt like a synchronicity—a meaningful connection between my thoughts and the world around me. As Buddha once taught, “Whatever is in your mind will appear in the world.”